ABOUT THE NICU & CCN

The Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at UAB’s Women & Infants Center provides the best possible care for babies born too soon or who are ill. In conjunction with Children's of Alabama, UAB is classified as a Level IV NICU, the highest level possible and the only Level IV in the state. The Center also houses UAB’s Continuing Care Nursery (CCN), providing extended step-down care for preterm and term babies with medical conditions. The 120-bed Level IV NICU/CCN was planned around the needs of newborns and their families, and is well-equipped to handle any situation that may arise.

The Children’s of Alabama Benjamin Russell Hospital for Children is located adjacent to the Women & Infants Center and connected via sky bridges, allowing for seamless transition for newborns receiving advanced inpatient care at both locations.

24/7/365

Unlike other area hospitals, at UAB, specialized neonatology physicians are on site 24/7/365, allowing for around-the-clock-attending at delivery to provide immediate care for premature and sick infants. A resuscitation hall is steps away from the C-section suites and labor, delivery, and recovery (LDR) rooms. Once a newborn is stabilized, care is provided in the NICU or at Children’s of Alabama.

Private Rooms

NICU rooms are private which provides the optimal environment for the important bonding that occurs in the first few days and weeks of life between mother and baby. Parents can stay with their babies in the NICU around-the-clock if they wish. Our open visitation is grounded in research that shows the tremendous importance of the bonding between family and baby in the first month of life. Sleep space for a family member allows support for mom and baby to be right there in the room with them. Each baby is closely monitored by nurses who will care for them in their rooms, as well as from observation areas directly outside of each room, and via the most advanced, wireless fetal monitoring and patient telemetry monitoring equipment available. Since everything a nurse needs is at her fingertips, NICU babies are constantly under nurse supervision, while allowing for family privacy.

State of the Art Communication System

In addition to nurse supervision, all staff in the NICU at the Women & Infants Center is equipped with a state-of-the-art communication system that allows one-touch communication with other members of the hospital staff, should an emergency arise. Appropriate medical personnel are able to respond to an infant in need within seconds.

Magnet Recognition

As a Magnet-certified hospital, nurses in UAB's NICU/CCN are second to none, and patients can be assured they are getting the best possible nursing care at UAB. UAB was granted recognition as a Magnet hospital for the third time by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), signifying its place in an elite group of fewer than 400 hospitals around the world acknowledged as centers for nursing excellence. The ANCC is part of the American Nurses Association.

Amenities

Amenities in the Women & Infants Center are like none other. Families needing to spend weeks or even months with a sick baby have available to them residential-style family rooms complete with kitchenettes, dining tables, couches, TVs and playrooms with activities for children visiting a sick sibling. Sleep rooms are also available, featuring queen-size beds and private bathrooms with showers.

UAB delivers world-class care to the sickest babies in Alabama and the region. With a combination of state-of-the-art technology and a compassionate, knowledgeable and skilled neonatal care team, the NICU at UAB is like nowhere else in the state and few places in the country.

Parents and up to four designated family guests 18 years and older can stay in the nursery 24 hours a day with proper identification. Other guests may check in at the first floor lobby desk and visit from 8:30 am until midnight. Guests must be accompanied by the parents at all times. Siblings of all ages are allowed to visit between 8:30 am and midnight. Other children under the age of 12 are not permitted in the nursery as recommended by Perinatal Care Guidelines to keep our babies safe and healthy.

NICU & CCN Visitor Screenings

Visitors to the RNICU and CCN will be screened for contagious illness prior to entering those facilities to maintain the health of our smallest patients.

Continuing Care Nursery (CCN)

The Continuing Care Nursery (CCN) at the UAB Women and Infants Center also provides family- centered, specialized care to new babies in need. The CCN is a step-down nursery for newborns moving out of the NICU as they continue to grow and prepare to go home, as well as a place for closer observation of babies transferred from the well-baby nursery.

Babies in the CCN are closely monitored by our dedicated healthcare team of physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, infant nutrition technicians, and patient care technicians. Neonatologists and nurse practitioners are available 24 hours a day should your baby need them, along with Lactation Specialists to promote and support breast feeding.

CCN rooms are modeled to be as close to your home nursery as possible. All rooms are private and have a pull-out day bed, an oversized Kangaroo Care recliner, an in-room bathroom complete with a shower for mom and dad, a bathing sink for baby, an in-room refrigerator, and a TV to make your stay with your baby more comfortable and home-like. In addition to single rooms, there are also special rooms for twins and triplets.

You also will find a family room with a den area complete with a TV and couch for family time; a kitchenette with tables and chairs for family dinners, along with a refrigerator, microwave, and coffee maker; a business center with computers and Internet access, including printer and fax capabilities; a children’s playroom with a Sony Playstation and TV; a family laundry area to wash and dry your clothes; and a visitor waiting area with a beautiful view of the city.

Keeping babies safe is a top priority, so the unit entrances are locked 24 hours a day. All family members and visitors must wear identification badges to enter or remain in the unit to prevent unauthorized access. All babies wear an infant security band so we can know their whereabouts at all times.

Parents and up to four designated family guests 18 years and older can stay in the CCN 24 hours a day with proper identification. Other guests may check in at the first floor lobby desk and visit from 8:30 am until midnight. Guests must be accompanied by the parents at all times. Siblings of all ages are allowed to visit between 8:30 am and midnight. Other children under the age of 12 are not permitted in the nursery as recommended by Perinatal Care Guidelines to keep our babies safe and healthy.